[Marxism] Waiting for Gobama

[Michael Smith]

On Thu, 2 Apr 2009 16:07:45 -0400
"Joaquin Bustelo" <jbustelo at gmail.com> wrote:

> Michael Smith replied to my post pointing out that the conditions that gave
> rise to the Black Panther Party no longer exist by saying, "Indeed, the
> conditions aren't so propitious. But does that really mean that all we're
> left with is Waiting For Gobama? God, I hope not."
[....] 
> I think the keys to understanding this situation are in the writings of Marx
> and Engels, and admirably summed up in Lenin's 1916 article, "Imperialism
> and the split in socialism," and further developed in the supplementary
> theses on that national and colonial question adopted by the Second Congress
> of the Comintern.
> 
> Basically the explanation is the tremendously privileged position of the
> U.S. working class and population generally in relation to that of working
> people in the Third World.  

I join Joaquin in his admiration for Marx, Engels, and Lenin. Smart 
fellas, all of 'em. The Top Country hypothesis has a lot to recommend 
it, and I don't have a better one. 

I'm still not quite sure where Obama comes into this picture, though. 
Is the reasoning that since real action by the working class on its 
own behalf isn't on the cards, the only thing we can hope for is 
some crumbs from Obie? 

-- 

Michael Smith
mjs at smithbowen.net
http://stopmebeforeivoteagain.org